


A Stronger Defense.

by Shuppet



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, I'll update with relationships as I write them, honestly ill be surprised if even one person wants to read this nonsense, just everyone basically, just stories that have lived in my head a while now, most aren't main characters but they'll probably show up a few times at least, my OC that's me only better, pretty much, shameless self-insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-08
Packaged: 2018-03-21 23:48:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3707751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shuppet/pseuds/Shuppet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't know what to say about this except that this is purely self indulgent writing. I'll probably be writing for this whenever I'm avoiding doing other things. If you want to read along, I'd be happy to have you~ Also, if you have a Naruto OC, let me know about them in the comments and if you want, maybe I can write them in~ I'd love for my OC to have some other OC friends, yanno?</p>
    </blockquote>





	A Stronger Defense.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what to say about this except that this is purely self indulgent writing. I'll probably be writing for this whenever I'm avoiding doing other things. If you want to read along, I'd be happy to have you~ Also, if you have a Naruto OC, let me know about them in the comments and if you want, maybe I can write them in~ I'd love for my OC to have some other OC friends, yanno?

Prologue

 

My name is Mitsuru Kaneshiro. As a member of the Kaneshiro clan, it is my job to know every face and name within the village, civilians and Shinobi alike. We are Konohagakure’s final defense – it’s golden castle. We are the ones who evacuate the people into the mountain side and fortify it’s walls. We are the ones who keep the people of this village alive, at whatever cost. For this reason, I like my brother and sisters am expected to know every villager. If ever there is an emergency like there was the night the nine-tails attacked, I need to be able to know who is safe and who needs saving. Their lives are all in my hands; that is what the children of the Kaneshiro clan are raised to believe.

 

I was fourteen years old when I was promoted to Chunin. My brother who is ten years my senior was already a member of the ANBU. It was an unprecedented honor for my family. The Kaneshiro specialize in defense after all, and that’s not the exact expertise needed to be an ANBU shinobi. We knew our place within the village. My brother wanted more. He took our defensive jutsu and transformed them into deadly weapons. Unprecedented.

 

I wanted more too, though. I wanted to keep everyone safe, but I knew that sometimes the best defense was a strong offense. I’d always thought so. My brother proved so. I was a Jonin by my eighteenth birthday, and before a year’s time I had rejected a position in the ANBU myself. I was honored, but I knew myself well enough to know that the ANBU was not for me. I wasn’t like my family before me; steadfast in the norm and traditions, but I wasn’t like my brother either; completely deviant from the path of our ancestors. I wanted to protect, I just wanted to find a stronger way to do it. I needed to be stronger – to be strong enough to carry all the lives of the village and not drop a single one.

 

But it’s hard, trying every day to be stronger than you were yesterday. Some days I got pensive and inevitably somber. It’s dangerous for me to feel that way for too many days in a row. I know myself, and I know that if my mood suffers because I’m not strong enough to protect all of the precious lives in this village, then I won’t be able to get better. That must be why I keep these younger nin around. It’s only a few years difference, but they keep me young – keep me hopeful…

 

Reon and Haru were my teammates way back when, but we’re all moved on now and doing our own things now. Reon is traveling with a new sensei, training in new lands. Haru is away on missions more than she’s in the village. It’s a miracle if she’s ever here overnight anymore. So without the company of my old comrades, I turn once again toward some of the younger ones. There were 12 of them.

 

When I took the exams, it was only my team and one other to participate. Two years later, Konohagakure had a whole new batch of Genin looking forward to promotion in the shinobi world. I’d watched closely as a shadow proctor for their exams. It was necessary for me to know their names and faces, their strengths and weaknesses, their hopes and fears. To be a good defense, I had to know where all the holes were so that I could fill them in battle, so I studied these 12 – teams 7 though 10.

 

Team 7, led by Kakashi Hatake, was incredibly balanced in strength and yet unstable as a squad. I was somewhat surprised to find out that Kakashi had finally passed a squad and had high expectations for his genin. I wasn’t alone in being unimpressed at first glance. Sakura Haruno was their kunoichi. She had soft pink hair, impressive book smarts in her head, and sharp eyes that focused too much on her teammate. She was physically weak, but she’s growing. Sasuke Uchiha was more unstable than his squad as a while. He had dark hair and determined eyes. He had the look of someone who knew their purpose and wouldn’t be stopped by anyone. Early on I predicted that I wouldn’t have to protect him, not because of his potential strength as a shinobi, but because I doubted he would stay in Konoha. I’d told the Hokage that I questioned the Uchiha boy’s intent to stay a ninja of the village, but he insisted I not worry. I was questioned when he went rogue. I do not know where he is now, though I haven’t much looked for him. And then there was Naruto Uzamaki, the fox carrier. The last time there was an emergency and lives were lost was when the Kyuubi rampaged freely. I swore as a Kaneshiro to watch him closely, but through the years, I’ve watched him become one of the most reliable individuals around. The others all think highly of him now, and I guess I do too.

 

Team 8, led by Kurenai Yuhi, was not nearly as balanced as Team 7 by any means. It was obvious within minutes of observing them during the second part of the exams that the Hokage had formed the squad with a very specific specialty in mind: tracking and location. Shino Aburame of the Aburame clan commanded bugs that helped him track. I never hung around anyone from the Aburame clan for long – don’t like bugs. Shino was no exception for years. Kiba Iuzuka and his ninken Akamaru were the teams greatest offensive weapon, at least in the start. He and his ninken have a strong relationship, and the bond would get them through many tough spots together, this much I could forsee. His smell, though, I weakly hoped would improve. It was pungent to my sensitive nose. Hinata Hyuga was the team’s weak link when they were taking the Chunin exams, but I observed her gently back then. The Hyuga were known for their ultimate defense jutsu, and yet when push came, they were a top priority of defense for my clan. Their eyes were valuable to the village and couldn’t be risked. Hinata, I knew, was supposed to inherit her clan. She should never have been on a squad like this, but she was too temperate for her father. She spoke softly and felt passionately. Even if her father had thrown her aside, it was still in my bones to keep her tender soul and sweet eyes safe. I spent too much of my time as a shadow proctor following Team 8 and making sure the gentle Hyuga stayed alive.

 

Team 9, led by Might Guy, also had in it’s ranks a Hyuga, though this one vastly different from the first. His name was Neji Hyuga, and he was of the branch house. His purpose in life was supposed to be to protect those of the main house like Hinata. However, during the preliminary rounds before the final fights of the exams, Neji mercilessly attacked Hinata in both body and mind. More than I had stopped that fight. Four Jonin had stopped Neji. I’d stood in front of Hinata. Back then, I would have said that I didn’t particularly like him… He grew on me. Tenten was a solid Kunoichi, back then and ever since. Most of her stats were average. Her only remarkable capability was her accuracy, which was deadly. She rarely missed her mark, and she kept handy more than enough toys to throw around. Because both of her teammates were skilled taijutsu users, she was often free to sport her long range attacks. Rock Lee rounded out Team 9. He was incapable of ninjutsu and relied only on his taijutsu. My colleagues were skeptical of his worth as a shinobi, but I was simply curious. I didn’t know whether or not he could do it, but I wanted to see what would happen. During the Chunin exams, I watched him fight and struggle and prevail. I became sure then that he would be just fine in the shinobi world. Their team was arguably the most advanced in the exams that year. Maybe that was why my eye always favored their moments in the spot light. When you crave strength, you are drawn to it.

 

And then there was team 10. Led by Asuma Sarutobi, team ten consisted of Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi. Their three clans were known for working together and performing flawless combination attacks, often referred to as the Ino-Shika-Cho formation. I was pleased to see their team getting along so well. If they were any reflection of their ancestors, they’d be strong assets to the village. Of all of the Konoha entrants, only Shikamaru ended up being promoted on his first go through. He was world’s smarter than I’d originally given him credit for, but as the shadow proctor and a fellow chunin, I was able to get to know him some after the chaos of the attack that day died down.

 

My father told me to remember these twelve. “Some day soon,” he’d said, “we’re going to face terrible hardships, and this village is going to rely heavily on these twelve. Remember that, Mitsuru. Protect the village by protecting them.” And so I’ve done my best to honor my father’s advice. I’ve gone on missions with them. I’ve gotten to know them and their holes as intimately as I can.

 

The tricky thing about getting to know someone intimately, though, is that you may end up creating dangerously personal relationships. I’d meant only to be researching them, but in the end, they’ve had a more profound effect on me than I’d ever thought possible. I’ve opened. I smile, as if the weight of the lives of this village aren’t always weighing down on me, and sometimes just by being here, they remind me that I’m not protecting the people of this village alone.


End file.
